Crown 5 New Computer User Instructions

Backup Important Data

A computer or its Hard Drive can fail at any time and without warning. When it does all your personal documents, letters, pictures, music, and videos, is lost and in many situations cannot be recovered or costs lots of money to be recovered. Make sure you have Backup of all your important data in case your computer fails.

Protect the Computer

Make sure to protect your computer from electrical surges, brownouts, and blackouts. At the very least, every computer user should have a decent surge protector on their computer and phone line if they use a modem. Surge protectors can help protect your computer during an electrical storm and could save you hundreds of dollars in repair costs if it were to get damaged. It is also a good idea to have computers on a UPS, which can help prevent damage to a computer during a brownout or blackout.

Keep Computer and Its Programs Updated

There is no such thing as a perfect software program or hardware drivers. After the developer has released their program they may discover errors and release updates to fix these problems. In the case of major software programs and operating systems, there can be several hundred updates and service packs released during its lifetime. Making sure your computer and its programs are up-to-date can help prevent problems.
In addition to updating programs, programs that use other programs or plug-ins may also need updates, for example, it is important to make sure all the plug-in for your Internet browser are also up-to-date.

Keep the Safe from Viruses, Spyware, Phishing, and Spam

Every computer connected to the Internet or other networks need to be protected. If you are using Microsoft Windows, we recommend having some form of antivirus program installed and running on the computer. It is also a good idea to have a malware detection program running on the computer to pickup any spyware or malware that an antivirus may not have detected. Finally, every computer user should also be fully aware of other security risks such as chain mails, phishing, and spam while on the Internet.

Clean the Computer Clean

Keeping the computer physically clean can help keep the computer running smoothly, help prevent issues such as overheating, and help protect you from getting sick. While cleaning the computer, it is also a good idea to clean the data on the computer. Microsoft Windows users can run Scan Disk to check the hard drive for errors and Defrag to keep the data on the hard drive organized. It is also a good idea to go through the installed programs and uninstall anything you no longer use.